London Icons, 2016

Framed in black with a single off white mount.

About the Image
Big Ben is probably THE image people imagine when you mention London, so why did it take me so long to get around to doing a detailed picture of it? Probably because it is so iconic that it's image is everywhere. There is nothing quite like seeing the recently renamed Elizabeth Tower close up in reality. Photographs rarely do it justice. You can see a video of the painting being created on my Youtube channel.

Still, I could not resist, and here it is. I was trying to come up with an original composition, tricky to do, if at all. This is the first time I've used gold leaf in a painting, and I think it worked well. Captures the way the real thing glitters.

All copyrights are retained by the artist, and that the artwork cannot be reproduced without consent from Cathy Read.

The picture was initially drawn with pencil onto watercolour paper. These lines were then drawn over using masking fluid and then painted using watercolour paint and acrylic ink. Gold leaf was applied. Salt was also used in the process and some of the ink blown around using a straw. Once the painting was dry the masking fluid was removed to reveal the finished painting. The picture is 76cm high by 59.8cm wide and was created in England in 2016.

Meditation
There a few London Icons which spring to mind before Big Ben.
Dominating the picture, the image of Elizabeth Tower looms boldly against a pale, blue sky. Ostentatious, attention-seeking, the tower has gravitas yet the numerous twiddly bits give it a sense of frippery. The tower has always had the associated Monica of Big Ben. Of course, everyone knows it's the bell that's named Big Ben but you can't see or hear it here. The sound of the bell is more felt than heard. Deep and resonating as it chimes the hours.
If ever there was a symbol of London, Big Ben is it
Below there's another symbol,
The Underground sign muscling in at the bottom left hand corner. It too, cannot be ignored. Modern and brash, contrasting with the elegance of the clock tower. The dark zones daring to add visual interest. Organic patterns within the paintwork belie the man-made structure it's recreating.
Another iconic feature of London that’s instantly recognisable, the Underground sign evokes very different emotions to the clock face and tower. One speaks of light and hope the other?
Well, what does evoke? The need for movement? Reliability? Except there are many more answers to that question than we have time to discus.
Notice the colours? The pale purplish blue of the sky, the ochre of the tower, the black and red of the sign are the dominant colours. but look closely and you'll see purples, moss greens browns and pinks. And, as you go past, the light catches the gold leaf on the clock face and tower.
The Clock Face itself is another feature that demands attention in the diva icon. Photographs will never do it justice, compared to seeing the tower in reality. Here the face is distorted by perspective frozen in time, a metaphor perhaps? The passage of time is dependent on your perspective when you look at it. Moments of the same length can pass quickly or slowly, it’s all relative.